Chocolate Sour Cream Cake
The recipe for this simple old-fashioned sour cream chocolate cake comes from The Olives Dessert Table: Spectacular Desserts You Can Make At Home by Todd English and was given to me by Sami Weiss, one of the young women in my class at UNISG (Slow Food University, Pollenzo, Italy).
Inroduction
About this Recipe
By: Sheridan Rogers
The recipe for this simple old-fashioned sour cream chocolate cake comes from The Olives Dessert Table: Spectacular Desserts You Can Make At Home by Todd English and was given to me by Sami Weiss, one of the young women in my class at UNISG.
Ingredients
- 70% dark chocolate 200g, broken into pieces
- unsalted butter 170g
- sour cream 3/4 cup
- bi-carbonate of soda 1 1/2 teaspoons
- sugar 2 1/4 cups
- vanilla extract 1 tablespoon
- salt 1/2 teaspoon
- eggs 3
- plain flour 3 cups, sifted
- espresso coffee or hot water 1 1/2 cups
Filling
- mascarpone 300g, at room temperature
- Cognac or Grand Marnier 2 -3 tablespoons
- caster sugar 2 – 3 tablespoons
- mixed berries (raspberries, blueberries, blackberries) 300g
Chocolate Glaze
- 70% dark chocolate 200g, broken into pieces
- unsalted butter 30g
- honey 2 teaspoons
Preheat the oven to 180degC. Grease and flour 2 x 23cm cake tins.
Place the chocolate and butter in a heatproof water over simmering water, stirring occasionally until melted. Set aside.
Place the sour cream and bi-carbonate of soda in a bowl and stir until well combined. Set aside
In the bowl of an electric mixer, place sugar, vanilla, salt and chocolate/butter mixture and mix until just combined. Scrape down sides. Add the sour cream mixture and mix until combined. Scrape down sides.
Add the eggs, one at a time, and mix until combined. Add 1 cup sifted flour and 1/2 cup of the hot water or coffee; 1 cup flour and 1/2 cup hot water or coffee; 1 cup flour and 1/2 cup hot water or coffee, scraping down the sides and stirring well after each addition. Be careful not to overmix.
Divide mixture evenly between the two tins and place in the oven.
Bake 25 – 30 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean and the top springs back when gently pressed.
Turn cakes out onto a cake rack to cool. Wrap in plastic wrap and place in fridge overnight, or for a few hours before filling.
Remove from fridge before filling.
For the filling: spoon the mascarpone into a bowl Dissolve the sugar in the Cognac or Grand Marnier. Gently beat the liqueur through the softened mascarpone, being careful not to overbeat.
Spread the mascarpone over one of the cakes (if top is uneven, slice horizontally with a serrated knife to make a flat top). Scatter the berries over the mascarpone. Place other cake on top. Return to fridge.
For the glaze: place the chocolate, butter and honey in a heatproof bowl over steaming water and stir occasionally until melted and well-combined. Remove bowl from heat and pour glaze over top of cake. Can be decorated with more berries and/or shards of toffee.